Four Is Not Enough
by LiliFayre
Summary: Eliot has left the team, due to the incident in the warehouse. He's gone after Moreau alone, and the rest of the crew is determined to get him back.
1. The Split

So, I usually write for Suits, but Mei Neko suggested that I post this. I owe her a great deal of thanks, love and appreciation. Right, so first Leverage story. Please tell me what needs to be fixed.

Insert standard disclaimer here. Um... random spoilers for everything before and including The Big Bang Job.

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><p>It took all of Eliot's legendary self control not to turn around and leave the office. He had just arrived, slightly late, but one look at his team's faces told him. They knew. It didn't matter how quickly Hardison closed the security video, that Sophie sent him her smoothest smile, the casual way Parker munched on her cereal, eyes fixed on the bowl, or the desperate pleading look that Nate shot him, he knew it was over. He kept his own face blank, eyes locked on Nate for just a moment. He straightened, shaking his head when Nate opened his mouth and turned sharply, walking right back out of the door he had just entered. He couldn't stay with them any longer, not now that they knew exactly what he was capable of. The bond gone with the harsh truth of exactly what Eliot was capable of. That dark part of him that couldn't be stopped, that refused to let anything get in the way of what he had to do. It used to be something that he relied on, used to complete his jobs, despite torture and harsh conditions, it kept him going, refusing to allow anyone the satisfaction of winning. But, no matter how hard he tried to protect them, all the times he was hurt so they didn't have to be, it was no longer his place. They were thieves, all of them, and he was a murderer.<p>

Casually, he pulled out his phone and making a quick stop at the bar below the office, left it behind. He had another phone, the one he used before he joined the team, with a number they didn't know, under a completely different alias. He would leave, but he refused to leave them unprotected. It was his job to keep them safe, no matter what the cost to himself was, and he would not leave until he was satisfied that the job would get done.

Truth, because Eliot never lied to himself, others sure, but never himself. He had been thinking of leaving for a while now. The team was good, and they did good work, but they didn't need him. Oh, they needed someone to keep an eye on them because they were all completely crazy and half convinced that they were invincible, but they didn't need him, specifically. It was obvious, after the last few jobs. They had each other. Nate had Sophie to keep him in line, she had Nate to keep her from going too far. Parker had Hardison wrapped around her finger and he kept the Thief grounded, always right there for her. They didn't need him except to make sure they got out alive.

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><p>Nate sighed when the door closed behind the Hitter. He had to explain to the team why Eliot had done what he did. Then he would have to hunt down Eliot. It wasn't good for him to be alone right now. "You know, I promised him that you didn't have to know what he did."<p>

"That isn't a promise that you should have agreed to." Sophie argued. "We need to know these things. You can't just tell us bits and pieces."

"I thought it was cool." Parker commented absently. "I mean it was all Matrix-y right, Hardison?"

"Somethin' wrong with you, girl." The Hacker replied, the words a habit. "That was scary! He took all those men down in nothin' flat!"

"So?" The blond looked confused. "He was saving Nate."

"He killed people, Parker." Sophie reminded the Thief. "There had to have been another way."

"Thought, he didn' do that anymore." Hardison muttered, tapping at his keyboard. "I knew there was somethin' wrong with him lately. Been all extra moody."

Nate kept his mouth closed, knowing that anything he said would just keep the argument going. Personally, he felt that it was his fault that Eliot had to resort to such measures. If he had planned a bit better, or listened when the Hitter tried to warn them, it might not have had to happen. He let the argument fade out, thinking of the look on Eliot's face when he walked in the door. It had only been for a second, but Nate saw the sheer _hurt_ flash across his face before he hid it away, like every other injury. Finally, he stood, drawing everyone's attention by banging his untainted coffee onto the table. "So, you are honestly going to sit there and judge him for this?"

"Nate." Sophie again. "What..?"

"He didn't want to do it. I was there, I saw his face when he told us there was no way to get out. I saw how hard it was for him to reach for that gun. Do you have any idea how hard he tried to keep that part of him away from you all? The only reason he picked that gun up was so that I could get out and we could finish the job. If he hadn't done it then we would all be dead because nothing would stop them from coming after us. He did it for us, to you understand? Because, now he's gone, and I don't know if he will come back."

"He has to!" Parker blurted out, ignoring the looks from Sophie and Hardison. "He's part of the family, we need him."

The Grifter sighed, "You don't really think he'd leave because of this do you?"

"Don' see why not." The hacker replied, before Nate could. "We haven't exactly been treatin' him too good, lately." The man's eyes were fixed on his screen. "I mean... job's been tough lately and we've all got someone ta talk to, to lean on, 'cept him."

Silence fell over the table as that blunt truth settled between the four. Nate shook his head, Sophie bit her lip while Parker played with her spoon. Finally Nate broke it. "Hardison, track Eliot. I need to talk to him."

The Hacker nodded, hands moving over the keys swiftly. "He's downstairs. Hey!" He jumped from his seat, quickly snagging his laptop, when Nate brushed past. "I'm comin' too!"

"Yeah!" Parker bounded up, while Sophie nodded. They all needed to clear the air, because they couldn't do this without him.

The four thieves entered the bar with purpose, stopping cold when they realized that the Hitter wasn't there. "Hardison..." Nate's tone was warning.

"It's not my fault! The tracker in his phone is coming from right here!" The Hacker looked confused, pressing a few buttons on his phone, before holding it up to his ear. Soft country strains floated to them from an empty seat at the bar. Parker had the phone in her hand a second later.

"He forgot it." She frowned at the object, then shook her head. "No, he left it."

Sophie glanced at Nate, worry creasing her beautiful face. The Mastermind looked very worried, eyes darting back and forth, like they did when he planned for a con. "He'll come back, Nate. He probably just needs some space."

"He won't come back." The words were said with certainty. "No, we'll have to find him on our own."

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><p>Eliot was not a person that wasted time. He was a man of action, and despite his unwillingness to leave the team the decision was made and he would waste no time. He wasn't stupid, the ones that were never lasted as long as he had, and he knew that at least Nate would be looking for him soon. His home wasn't far from the offices, not that anyone really knew where it was, granted, Hardison could find it quickly though. It took very little time to get there and pack whatever he needed, one bag, everything else was a luxury. He made a four calls while he packed, one to two men that owed him far more than their lives, giving them very specific instructions, and three to make his arrangements, before tossing the phone into his bag. He knew Moreau, knew him better than he really cared to admit, but it made it easier to predict what the man would do now that he was completely ruined in most of the world. It had only taken him fifteen minutes to be ready to leave, but he hesitated. Maybe he was getting soft, but he couldn't leave without some kind of message to them. Aimee was right, they were family, a crazy dysfunctional family of thieves, but they were his. Snagging a bit of paper, he wrote swiftly, cursing himself the entire time, and left the note on the counter where the team would find it when they arrived.<p>

He didn't bother setting the alarm, there was nothing left that he really cared about. Eliot took one last look around the closest thing to a home he has in nearly twenty years. Slinging the battered duffel bag over his shoulder, he pulled his hair into a messy ponytail and left, snagging a helmet on his way to the door. He chose his favorite motorcycle, and secured it in back of his truck, before tossing the helmet and bag into the passenger seat. He was gone two minutes later, confident at where he was going, and determined to go. As a last gift to them, one last time of personally protecting them..

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><p>The rest of the team arrived ten minutes later, Nate with a dark frown and the others with various worried expressions. Hardison promptly whistled at the wide array of vehicles the Hitter owned, Parker wandering to inspect Eliot's lock, while Sophie shook her head.<p>

"We're too late, aren't we?" The Grifter sounded worried.

"Probably, his truck's gone." Nate muttered, privately wishing for a good stiff drink. "Parker?"

"Unlocked. Alarm was off too." Her tone was disappointed, and came from inside the sparse apartment.

Hardison shook his head, moving into the small building with Nate and Sophie on his heels. The three paused next to the Thief, surveying the inside. It was nearly empty, two chairs, a table and a battered couch the only furniture in the one room apartment. The kitchen, separated from the rest by a small island, was fully stocked, as expected from their resident chef, but devoid of any personal touches. Even the small bathroom was nearly empty, except for the massive amount of medical supplies in one of the cabinets, those appearing to have been picked over.

Sophie frowned, it reminded her too much of Parker's residence, something that the Grifter had worked hard to remedy. "This isn't a home... It's a safe-house."

"Still, it's the only place that is connected to any of Eliot's aliases. This is it." Hardison gestured around the room.

Nate kept his silence, moving around the room looking for anything that might hint where the Hitter was going. When he saw the note, he practically dove for it, eyes scanning the hastily written words in Eliot's distinctive style.

_Nate. _

_ I can't. Not after this. It's changed, and that can't be undone. I would never leave you unprotected, any of you, no matter what the cost to myself was. I know that isn't something that the others can understand, but you can. Believe me, I wasn't lying when I said that the worst thing I ever did was for Damien Moreau. But, the best thing I ever did was for you, for the team. Don't stop doing what you do, it's important. I've taken care of your safety, with people that wouldn't ever betray me, no matter what. They won't interfere in the cons, they're just to make sure none of you are harmed. Don't go after Moreau, I'll take care of him. Eliot._

The Mastermind read the message twice, before shoving it at Hardison, mostly because he was closest, and clenching the edge of the island so tightly his knuckles turned white. He heard the muffled curses from the Hacker and the gasp from Sophie. He knew the minute that Parker read the note because she bolted from the room with Hardison on her trail.

Sophie had tears in her eyes when she wrapped her arms around Nate. "What do we do?"

He stayed quiet for several minutes, thinking hard before pulling away gently. "We do what we do best."

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><p>"Parker. Parker! Come on, girl. Just talk to me." Hardison was doing everything he could to keep the Thief from disappearing. "Look, we'll find him."<p>

"He gone, Hardison. He's not coming back." Parker snapped, finally turning to face the Hacker. "He left us."

"To be fair, it was our fault too. I ain't saying it wasn't creepy, cuz, well it was. The man has problems but we shouldn' have judged him for 'em." Hardison put a hand on Parker's shoulder. "I know you get it, so why are you all mad at him?"

"He left. Eliot doesn't leave. He's always there, every time. Now... he's not. I don't want a new person, I want Eliot."

"Hardison, Parker. Back to the office." Nate's command halted any words the Hacker might have said. "Time to go steal our Eliot back."


	2. The Team Pt 1

So, I usually write for Suits, but Mei Neko suggested that I post this. I owe her a great deal of thanks, love and appreciation. Right, so first Leverage story. Please tell me what needs to be fixed.

Insert standard disclaimer here. Um... random spoilers for everything before and including The Big Bang Job. I forgot to mention earlier that the San Lorenzo Job doesn't take place.

Sorry.

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><p>"And just how do you propose that we steal Eliot?" Sophie had been asking the same question the entire trip back to Nate's apartment. Now that they were back, she wasn't going to let him get away without an answer. "He's not a piece of art, Nate. You can't just steal a person."<p>

"I think we can." Nate leaned against the table. "Think of it like a challenge, Sophie. The feather in your cap."

"Actually, Eliot's done that before." Hardison interrupted after a swig of orange soda. "He told me about one, once. Said a village in China was sacked and a bunch o' people were taken as slaves. Said he stole 'em back and got them outta the area."

Nate nodded. "I knew about that one. Still one person is easier than a whole village."

"Oh for the love of..." The Grifter threw her hands up. "This is Eliot. The most guarded person alive. You can't con him, Nate."

"You did."

"No, I conned _you_. I tricked you. Eliot, Parker and Hardison followed your directions." Sophie argued. "I want him to come back as bad as everyone else does, but I also don't want to do this rashly. If we do then we won't ever get him back."

"Oh, I agree. We will all have to be at the very top of our game." He straightened, looking at his team directly. "Question is, are you willing to take the risk? I am, because I know that no matter what kind of arrangements he made, we need him. This team won't work if he's not here, just like it didn't work when you were gone, Sophie. We've all left at some point, and it wasn't the same."

"I never left." Parker replied sulkily.

"Uh, hello? Remember you, in a building with a Sherinco? Yeah, that one? I'm pretty sure that counts as leaving." Hardison countered. "All I did was sleep in..."

"On the job that nearly killed us all when the plane almost crashed. Thank you for that Hardison." Nate replied dryly. "The point is, what do you want? I can't make this decision for you, it has to be the choice of the team. All of you are going to have to think long and hard about this. If we try and get him back, then you have to accept what happened in that warehouse. So, do we let him go or take him back?"

Silence answered his question but Nate could be very patient when he wanted to. He moved to stand in front of the screens, hands casually stuck in his pockets.

Parker answered first. "I'm in. I want Sparky back."

"Yeah, man... I mean..." Hardison fidgeted a bit. "I'm in too... Uh, you do got a plan, right?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it. Sophie?"

"Do you honestly think that I would disagree? Of course, I want him back." The Grifter straightened, waving a hand at Nate imperiously. "There is, however, the small matter of finding him."

"That's the easy part. He went after Moreau. So wherever he is, Eliot will be too. Hardison said that Moreau was going to San Lorenzo." Nate was smiling now, mind moving rapidly trying to design a plan. He was just starting to put things together when there was a heavy knock on the door.

"I got it." Parker bounded off her chair and opened the door, frowning at the man on the other side. "Who're you?"

"Is Nathan Ford here?" The man had a fairly deep voice. He looked like someone who had been in a few fights, his slightly crooked nose alone spoke for at least one break.

"Yeah... but who are you?" Parker didn't budge.

"Parker!" Nate shook his head. "I'm Nate Ford." He hurried over to the door, trying to move Parker, who just glared at him.

"Name's Andrew, Mr. Ford. Spencer told me to meet you before starting my shift."

"Whoa, what?" Hardison blurted out. "Shift?"

"That's right. My brother and I were told to keep an eye on you four. 'Til Spencer gives us the word."

Parker scowled. "Can you cook?"

"Parker." Sophie tired to intervene.

"No, ma'am."

"Then go away." The Thief slammed the door in his face and stalked back to her seat.

Nate sighed and opened the door again. "Sorry about that..."

"No apology needed. We were told not to interfere in your business." The man seemed to be all business.

"What exactly did Eliot tell you?" Nate asked, not liking any of this.

"That he had business to take care of and that my brother Karl and I were to insure that no harm came to you, until he gave us other orders. Least we could do for him."

The Mastermind pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not necessary..."

"I'm afraid it is, Mr. Ford. Our orders are very specific." Andrew explained. "I'm not gonna cross Spencer." It was almost funny to hear the man say that, since he was easily twice Eliot's size. If you want to change the arrangement, you'll have to take it up with him." The man turned to leave but Nate stopped him.

"Can you get a hold of him for me?"

"Not for least a week. He's off the grid, minimal contact until his job is done." Andrew explained before departing.

Nate closed the door, already taking into account this newest development. "Okay, here's what we do. Hardison, track Moreau. Wherever he is, Eliot will be too. I want a detailed location, so there are no surprises when we get there. Parker, get downstairs and keep an eye on our new friend, we're going to have to ditch them if we want to go after Eliot. Go crazy, make him work to keep up with you. Sophie," Nate's voice dropped, speaking privately to the lovely woman. "I need you to to help me. I can't plan this like I normally would, not just because the end target is Eliot but because we don't have him here. I can only think of two jobs that didn't end with him getting physical and only one that didn't require him to take an active role in the con." He looked up, watching Hardison type frantically, while muttering to himself, before staring directly at Sophie. "Also... I need you to keep an eye on Parker."

"I understand. She's not going to like this anymore than when you decided to stay in jail." Sophie replied, ignoring the look Nate shot her.

Hardison started cursing, loudly and creatively, some of the words used obviously things he had picked up from their missing Hitter. "Okay, remember earlier how I said Moreau had gone to San Lorenzo? Well, I was sure earlier but now, not so much. This man is pulling everything through so many different servers and companies, it'll take me forever to find where he's going. Alike right now, his accounts say they are all in India, man. And India has some messed up systems, let me tell you."

"How long?" Nate was instantly by the Hacker's side, looking over his shoulder.

"I dunno. Depends on how many other systems I gotta hack and how many other detours I find. He's runnin', but I can't tell where to exactly."

"Dammit Hardison. We need to find Moreau as soon as possible." Nate started but was interrupted when the tall man pointed at him.

"Oh, hell no! You don't get to say that!" Hardison glared, a look that was very off on his normally easygoing face. "Ya, said it wrong anyway," He huffed a bit before going back to his keyboard, fingers practically flying across the keys.

Nate looked at Sophie, an unsure expression on his face, before motioning for her to go after Parker and that he would handle Hardison.

* * *

><p>Sophie found Parker sitting on the rail of the stairs that led down to the bar. "Parker?" The Grifter spoke softly, "Are you alright?"<p>

"That's really a dumb question." The Thief shot back bluntly. "I'm perfectly fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Her eyes stayed fixed on a spot across the street.

"You know what I mean." Sophie chided lightly. "None if us are really okay."

"Maybe I am." She stated defiantly, turning and staring at Sophie in that way she had, the one that always made people uncomfortable. The blond kept the act up for a few more minutes before turning her head away from Sophie's knowing look. "Okay, I'm not. He's not supposed to leave."

"Parker, are you mad at him?" Sophie had a feeling that it wasn't so much anger as something else, but wanted to make certain.

"Not really. I.. don't know. I'm sad that he left. He didn't have to, really. It wasn't a big deal." She shrugged. "Right?"

"Er.. well. Parker?" The Grifter was slightly confused now. "What wasn't a big deal?"

"What he did in the warehouse." The reply was casual. "I mean, he saved Nate and that's what he was supposed to do right?"

"Well, yes, but killing isn't ever a good thing." Sophie answered gently. "I am not certain that he actually had to kill those men."

Now the Thief looked angry. "Oh, so it would have been better if Eliot had just let them kill him?" She hopped off the rail. "I think, I understand what Hardison meant earlier." She moved back when the brunette reached for her arm. "I'm done. This guy will be hard to shake. I gotta tell Nate."

Sophie stood there watching Parker dart off, remembering now why Eliot was usually the one that explained things to Parker. The Hitter, while growling and complaining, usually was able to put things in terms that everyone could understand, it was a simple talent, but one that was indispensable when dealing with someone like Parker, who never really understood things because no one ever took the time to teach her. Sometimes, she wished she was able to approach her team the same way she did the marks in their cons. Generally she could handle whatever they threw at hear easily, but the team, they threw her off every time. Sophie sighed, hoping that Nate had better luck with Hardison.

* * *

><p>Hardison was doing an exceptional job of ignoring everything that Nate said. Really, he had a lot of practice at ignoring things that weren't attached to his computer. Granted there were always things that instantly caught his attention, Parker, Eliot when he was angry, Parker, gunshots, Parker, cops, Eliot taking down people(because that was just too cool), money, Parker, important things like that. Nate rambling in his ear was something that he was very used to and since they hadn't actually started a con yet, Hardison felt well within his rights to ignore him.<p>

Nate, on the other hand, knew he was being ignored. Contrary to popular belief, half the time he was talking aloud, it was for his own benefit. It helped him keep his thoughts clear, no matter what might be muddling them at that current time. Not that it was really helping him at the moment. Of all of them, only Nate really knew what it meant to chase after Eliot. Sure he had chased Parker, but that was one that was more of a hobby, the girl was a ghost after all. Hardison, he had been more of something to do when Nate wasn't on any official assignments, mostly because Nate was not a computer wiz and nothing less would be able to catch Hardison. Sophie... well, Nate chased her several times, but never really minded that. Eliot though, had made it a challenge, led him over all of the middle east and a good portion of Europe before Nate finally cornered him. Seven months, twelve days, four hours and twenty eight minutes it took for Nate to catch him and to this day he still doesn't know what Eliot had stolen. Not to mention that every time he asked, Eliot only smirked and wanted to know which point of the chase he was talking about.

So Nate continued to talk, about various ways to track the Hitter, and Hardison continued to ignore him until one of the things Nate said actually processed. "Wait.. What?"

"Huh? What?" Nate blinked, his train of thought gone. "I thought you were ignoring me."

"I was, 'til you said that last thing." Hardison actually paused in his typing.

"Last thing? You mean about hoping for another parade?"

"Yeah that one. Whats a parade got to do wit' anythin'?"

"Oh, well that was how I caught Eliot the first time." Nate explained. "In Sicily, there was a parade, and with the added crowd..." He shrugged.

Hardison just stared. "Okay, that's just freaky. What if there hadn't been a parade?"

"Probably wouldn't have caught him. But, that's why we are looking for Moreau instead of Eliot."

"Seriously? Hey... you really think this'll work?" The Hacker peered up at Nate, eyes serious.

"Yes."

"You lyin' to me?"

"Yes." Nate didn't even bat an eye.

"Okay. I'm good w'th that." Hardison had just turned back to his keyboard when Parker shimmied through the window.

"We aren't going to be loosing this guy any time soon. He's pretty observant." She stalked over to Hardison and poked her face close to his screen, glaring at it.

"Uh... what're ya doing, girl?" He loved her but sometimes she was still weird.

"I'm waiting."

Hardison glanced at Nate, who shrugged, and back to Parker. "It'll take a while to find Moreau's exact location."

"Don't care about Moreau. Can't you just find Eliot based on airport cameras?" She leaned back slightly. "What? The other guy left on a plane so Eliot probably did to."

Nate stared. "Airport..." He thought for several minutes. "I've got it. Pack up you two. I'll get Sophie, we're leaving."


	3. Crisscrossed Plans

I'm sorry this is so late. I got a bit stuck. I hope you all enjoy it

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><p>Eliot always had a plan. For every con that Nate ran, Eliot had a backup plan in case things went south. He had a plan on the off chance that one of his enemies came after him, a different plan per person. He had a plan in case the team gets arrested, again depending on who gets caught. This situation, wasn't any different.<p>

Eliot didn't plan on the team going after Moreau, had fought against it when the topic was introduced. When it became apparent that there was no going back, he started planning. Unfortunately, all of Eliot's plans centered around the team. Now that he was alone again, he had to start from scratch.

First, was to find Moreau. That wasn't hard, Eliot knew exactly where the man would run to, an advantage to knowing the criminal as well as the Hitter did. Next was to decide exactly how to take care of the situation. This was far more difficult because Eliot needed to take care of it as smoothly and quickly as possible. Ultimately, the main goal was to finish this last job, close this link to his past, without effecting the team, and then go his own way. Eliot had no problems with that. He had spent a very long while thinking of exactly the best way to ruin Moreau. The problem was, avoiding Nate while he did it.

There was no way that Nate was going to simply accept that Eliot was done with the team. Before the team became a family, in the beginning when it was just one more job, then no one would have thought twice. Now, there had been too many chances to split apart, the bonds were too strong now for any of them to just walk away without a very good reason.

Eliot didn't really mind the thought that Nate would chase him again. The last time, Eliot had the advantage. Nate had no idea what Eliot had been doing in the small town in the middle of Iraq, or that the retrieval specialist hadn't actually been running. Sure, he was avoiding getting caught, but truthfully, he had been working several jobs at once. This time, Eliot wasn't sure who would have the advantage. Nate was smarter, there was no doubt about that, but there was no one that was more prepared than Eliot. The problem was that during all the cons and the time spent as a team, they had learned about each other. Nate knew Eliot better, and he had help. Eliot knew the team, knew how they operated.

That was why, he was sitting in a motel room, not three blocks from the team's office. He had his plan for Moreau, but first he had to wait. It was necessary, because Nate would never expect him to do it. Eliot was a man of action, and Nate would expect him to fly out immediately, take care of Moreau and then disappear. That was where they would be, at the airport, checking for anything that might lead them to him. Which was why, Eliot was leaving tomorrow, not flying but driving. He would finalize his plans, make several calls and then leave, while the team was looking the other way.

He had a plan so why was it so hard for him to start it. All he had to do was make one call and then Nate would have a lovely false trail to follow while Eliot did what he had to. He shook his head, glaring at the phone in his hand and made the call.

* * *

><p>It would surprise Nate to no end if he knew that no part of Eliot's plan involved killing Damien Moreau. No, in the Hitter's mind, death would be far too kind for someone like him. What he wanted and would do, was to turn Moreau from predator to prey. For him to know exactly what it was like always looking over your shoulder, wondering exactly what would be waiting for him that day. It was something that Eliot was very good at, and one of the things that had drawn the notice of men like Moreau. But, they knew the old Eliot, not the new one. The new one was tempered with bits of his team, his family. He was quieter now, thanks to Parker, and better with technology thanks to Hardison's insistence. He knew better the buttons to push on people because Sophie was an excellent teacher and he had learned a lot about manipulating the situation to his advantage because there was no one better at it than Nate.<p>

The Hitter stared at his phone briefly before sending a short message to Andrew and then snapping the device in half. He knew once the man received his message that Hardison would be on his computer, hacking away to trace the message, even while Nate dragged everyone to the airport to look for him. Truthfully, Eliot was rather proud of himself. He sent a message to Andrew telling him that his plane was leaving in an hour for New York and from there to Africa. Andrew wouldn't tell the team, but he would bet an arm that Nate would have Parker watching their guard like a hawk and it would be reported back. Then with all their attention focused East, Eliot would go west, straight for Moreau's hiding hole in San Lorenzo.

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><p>There wasn't a person in the world that would accuse Nathan Ford of being stupid. Even his enemies, would admit that Nate was a crafty man. So when he learned from Hardison that there was a man due at the airport that matched on of Eliot's older aliases, he was suspicious. Then he learned about the message from Andrew's phone. Nate was certain that it had to be a ruse, Eliot was far too careful to leave that many bread crumbs. But, then he remembered that Eliot didn't expect any of them to go looking for him. The Hitter believed that they wanted nothing more to do with him so, Nate reasoned, he must only be covering himself from his enemies, not the team. And Africa made sense, Moreau did have a large amount of money and power there, so it was reasonable to think that was where he was. But, there was a nagging feeling that something was off. This feeling rarely showed it'sself, even the the pan was falling out, Nate had a way to turn it around. This feeling was always the one that happened right before Eliot announced something big, something that Nate had missed but the Hitter hadn't.<p>

So Nathan planned accordingly, sending Parker and Sophie to stake out the airport, while Hardison acquired use of all the security cameras, letting Nate see the whole picture. Still, something felt wrong, even Parker said so, in her blunt way.

_"Nate, I'm at the gate."_

"Good, Parker?"

_"This is wrong."_ There was a slight banging sound. _"I'm at the loading gate of the plane."_

"Stay there, Parker, if Eliot gets on, you'll be the only one that can take the flight with him.

_"I still don't understand why Hardison didn't get us all tickets."_

The Hacker glanced at the older man, but was ignored. "Because, Sophie, Parker's right. Something's wrong, and I'm not sure what it is yet."

_"Do you think Sparky pulled a fast one on us?"_

"The man jus' said he doesn't know what's wrong, girl." Hardison grumbled, eyes fixed on the screen. "No sign of him, Nate."

The Mastermind wasn't really listening to anything anymore, his mind was whirling, trying to wrap around the complicated way that Eliot worked. The Hitter was careful, so careful that sometimes, Nate couldn't understand why. Then, he could be very reckless. The difference was, Eliot was never careful with himself. It clicked then, exactly what was wrong.

"Alright, Parker, Sophie, come back now."

_"What?"_

"Why, we've only just arrived?"Sophie argued. "We should give him more time to show up."

"He's not going to. It's a decoy. He's trying to keep us away from Moreau. We'll have to find him if we want to get Eliot back."


End file.
